Breaking down the full stack: Why full stack developers are more critical than ever
The phrase 'every company is a software company' has never been more true than it is today. No matter what industry you are in, software is not only supporting your business but also driving it. At the center of this shift is a role that's becoming increasingly invaluable: the full-stack developer.
But what exactly does full-stack development entail—and why are these developers so critical in a climate that demands reliability, speed, and efficiency?
FULL-STACK DEVELOPMENT EXPLAINED
Full-stack development means focusing on the software as a whole. It entails everything from the front-end user experience and interface to the back-end functionality and database. A full-stack developer's role is to seamlessly bridge this gap between the front-end and the back-end of the software.
In the past, software was too complex and expensive for one to fully tackle on their own. While still complex, today's dynamic frameworks like Java and Ruby On Rails enable developers to write software more quickly, reliably, and cost-effectively than ever before.
This complexity means that a full-stack developer must understand which technologies are trustworthy, how they integrate, and the risks associated. The good news is that you don't need to understand each aspect of the code, as you can combine yours with pre-written things like prepared libraries, technologies, and external APIs. Doing so allows you to focus on your part of the business. The key—always—is to find a balance.
WHY HIRING A FULL-STACK DEVELOPER IS A GOOD IDEA
The advantage of having someone on your team that can focus on your digital assets as a whole and who can understand and design with your front-end and back-end in mind will ultimately make the process more efficient.
In my experience, there can be a false sense of 'writing software is easy' for some, as pre-written software like Ruby on Rails can make it seem like you are just dragging and dropping code. But the code is just the first step, and the real secret to the sauce is when you need to optimize a database, for example. If a component is meant to run on a laptop, can it run simultaneously for 1 million users? What about your app? What's on your website won't translate to your app and vice versa. Even when combining software that's pre-written, a full-stack developer is still needed to write the key components of your business software.
While full-stack sounds great in theory, it's significantly more difficult and demanding of an undertaking than specializing in one facet. Even when you are firing on all cylinders and making the most of modern tools, complete mastery can still be too massive of an undertaking. That is why developers should take a 't-shaped' approach to software development—meaning they should strive to understand everything on the surface, while still diving deeper (but not too deep, as you could leave other aspects on the surface).
Maintaining a delicate balance between the two is key in full-stack development. In this context, leveraging these two principles will help in prioritizing learning and development: 1) Occam's Razor (i.e., the simplest solution, with the fewest assumptions, is usually the best) and 2) the Pareto Principle (allocating 20% of your time to the things that will result in 80% of the outcome).
Our company has utilized full-stack development using the Ruby on Rails framework, along with other well-known and proven libraries like Bootstrap. Bootstrap's front-end components—such as dropdown menus and navigation bars—enable our team to work more effectively and focus mainly on our customers and business needs.
LOOKING AHEAD
In an increasingly software-dependent business environment, full-stack developers will continue to be high in demand. The nature of a full-stack developer is to be adaptable and adjust as the market does. Having the ability to consistently deliver digital tools that meet your business objectives and customer needs is why having a full-stack developer on your team will ensure you remain agile in 2025 and beyond.
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